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10 December 2025
Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Re-entry after DeportationRead the Press Release
ANNISTON, Ala. – A native of Mexico has been sentenced for illegally re-entering the U.S. after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
United States District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Maximiliano Pablo-Cinto, 41, a citizen of Guatemala, to 18 months in prison. Pablo-Cinto pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry after deportation.
According to the plea agreement, Pablo-Cinto was previously convicted on November 27, 2017, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama for being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to 45 months in prison. On February 7, 2019, Pablo-Cinto was removed from the United States. He was then arrested on February 7, 2025, by the Albertville Police Department after he failed to appear in court on charges for fraud and identity theft in Albertville, Alabama. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Deportation Removal Office (ICE/ERO) was notified of the arrest and Pablo-Cinto was later transferred into federal custody.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the Albertville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Historic Homeland Security Task Force New York Targets Foreign Terrorists, Cartel Members, and Criminal Organizations with Ties to Big AppleRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joseph Nocella, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, joined federal partners on Dec. 10 to announce the establishment of the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”) New York.
Co-led by HSI and the FBI, the HSTF New York will serve as a first-of-its-kind task force that utilizes a whole-of-government approach to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (“TCOs”) in New York and throughout the United States.
“We hear what New Yorkers want: they want our parks, schools, housing developments, subways, and streets to be safe and feel safe,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Together with our federal partners and the NYPD, the Southern District is committed to delivering safe streets and a better quality of life for all New Yorkers. In the last year, we have collectively investigated and charged: members of Tren de Aragua and many other brutally violent gangs with murders, sex trafficking, and narcotics distribution; over a dozen narco-terrorists and members of state-sponsored drug cartels with narcotics distribution; foreign nationals with fentanyl distribution; and most recently, 18 defendants in a wide narcotics sweep aimed at cleaning up Washington Square Park. The women and men of the SDNY are actively engaged in similar matters and are committed to making New York safer each and every day.”
“The historic collaboration of this Task Force strengthens the mission to protect our citizens by standing between our Districts and the transnational criminal organizations, human smugglers, and cybercriminals who target us with drug trafficking, violence, and economic harm,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella, Jr.
“FBI New York proudly stands alongside our federal, state, and local partners to co-lead with HSI New York the New York Homeland Security Task Force,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “By bringing the full force of the federal government, this task force will dismantle designated terrorist enterprises who are responsible for trafficking lethal drugs and weapons into our communities. Through unified partnership, we will continue to defend the homeland from evolving threats, safeguard critical infrastructure, and strengthen national resilience.”
“The people of this city deserve to know that special agents and investigators at every level of law enforcement are standing side-by-side and collaborating under one roof, so that New Yorkers may go about their lives safely and comfortably,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The HSTF New York and HSI, as its co-leader, are driving coordinated investigations that strike at the heart of criminal networks and schemes both here and abroad. With unity as our strength and coordination as our advantage, we will outpace, outsmart, and outmaneuver transnational criminal organizations at every turn.”
“We are proud to have entered into this agreement with the New York Homeland Security Task Force as a partner and as the third agency on the Executive Committee,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “Whether it is money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act violations, a complex financial fraud, or leveraging our tax authority, we will continue working in tandem with all the agencies under the HSTF umbrella to take criminals off the street and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. Special Agents with IRS Criminal Investigation have long been known for lending their financial and tax expertise to complex investigations. With this agreement, our special agents will continue to proactively leverage our knowledge and unique skills for the betterment of this new team.”
The mission of the HSTF is to identify and target for prosecution transnational criminal organizations engaged in diverse criminal schemes involving a myriad of federal violations both within the United States and throughout the world. Violations include, but are not limited to drug trafficking, money laundering, weapons trafficking, human trafficking, alien smuggling, homicide, extortion, kidnapping, weapons trafficking, and other TCO- related violations where there is or may be a federal investigative interest.
HSTF New York will primarily focus on investigating TCO Foreign Terrorist Organizations (“FTOs”), and is working towards the disruption and full dismantlement of these criminal organizations, combining the full strength of the investigative and intelligence forces of the U.S. government. One key component of the HSTF is the ability to combine information from our intelligence community partners with our law enforcement investigations to increase our effectiveness in combatting and dismantling the threat.
This task force model allows state, local, and federal law enforcement to extend our reach, share intelligence in real time, and target these threats at every level.
HSTF New York is comprised of law enforcement personnel from state and local law enforcement, including the NYPD, and federal entities from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Treasury, the Department of State, the Department of War, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Department of Labor. Participating agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the New York City Police Department (NYPD); U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service – Eastern District of New York; U.S. Marshals Service – Southern District of New York; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the U.S. Secret Service.
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More About the Homeland Security Task Force (“HSTF”)
Homeland Security Task Forces (“HSTFs”) nationwide arrested more than 3,200 foreign terrorists, narcotraffickers, and gangbangers, and seized more than 91 metric tons of narcotics off American streets between August 25 and October 7 alone.
Prior to the creation of HSTF, the federal government had 1,000 competing task forces focused on transnational criminal organizations. Since January, HSTF has established a new system and force in all 50 states and U.S. territories while coordinating and implementing operations with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement partners. Department of War and Intelligence Community partners are also providing HSTF with logistics, intelligence, and operational support.
On August 25, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF’s nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including:
- 1,041 Sinaloa members,
- 856 Cartel Jalisco Nuevo Genaracion (“CJNG”) members,
- 641 MS-13 members,
- 456 Tren de Aragua members,
- 1,067 weapons
- More than $3,250,000 in currency
- Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics
The HSTF will absorb several key components of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”), which has now been retired, to serve as the foundation of the HSTFs, to include critical databases previously utilized by OCDETF, OCDETF Strike Force infrastructure, partnerships, and funding.
HSTFs differ from Safe Street Task Forces (“SSTF”) by focusing on combating multijurisdictional TCOs operating across national borders, while the SSTF will continue to focus on targeting domestic gangs and violence reduction efforts in partnership with state and local law enforcement. When feasible, SSTF investigations could be enhanced by HSTF resources for maximum impact.
HSTFs differ from Joint Terrorism Task Forces (“JTTF”) by focusing on combating multijurisdictional cartel and international gang TCOs operating across national borders with the ultimate goal to disrupt and dismantle these organizations through prosecution while JTTF will continue to focus on protecting the homeland from foreign and domestic, ideological-based terrorism.
High-Level Colombian Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Colombian national was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for conspiring to send more than 450 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, Alejandro Parra Bustamante, 45, was a high-level member of the Shottas and Clan de Bustamante, the leading drug trafficking organizations operating out of Buenaventura, Colombia, one the country’s main seaports and a primary hub for cocaine being transported out of Colombia to Central America, Mexico, and the United States. Between around March 2019 and March 2021, Parra Bustamante led a conspiracy to sell 500 to 1,000 kilograms of cocaine to U.S. buyers during which approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine samples were sent to Tucson, Arizona.
Parra Bustamante was indicted in May 2021 and extradited to the United States in August 2023. Parra Bustamante pleaded guilty to one count of cocaine trafficking conspiracy on Feb. 6 before a federal judge in the District of Columbia. Jorge Eliecer Florez Alvarez, Parra Bustamante’s co-conspirator, was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment on Oct. 16.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) in Arizona made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Colleen King and Roger Polack of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section prosecuted the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition of Parra Bustamante.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Henrico felon sentenced to over three years in prison for unlawfully possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to three years and six months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, On Oct. 16, 2024, in Whitcomb Court, a Richmond Police officer observed Barion Quinto Wright, 25, who upon seeing the officer turned in the other direction and fled. As the officer pursued him, Wright removed a firearm from the pocket of his hoodie and tossed it. After the officer detained Wright, he returned to and recovered the firearm, which was loaded with a round in the chamber and equipped with an extended, 24-round magazine. The firearm had been reported lost or missing on Feb. 23, 2024.
At the time of his arrest, Wright had been convicted previously of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (twice), possessing a firearm while possessing a controlled substance, and carrying a concealed weapon. As a previously convicted felon, Wright cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
“Rather than embrace the opportunities afforded him to peacefully return to society, Barion Wright chose once again to acquire and carry a firearm, further endangering our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan. “We will not allow convicted criminals to arm themselves and continue to menace our families and neighborhoods.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Richmond Police Department investigated this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Gilliland, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-33.
Hampton Roads heroin trafficker sentenced to over 23 years in prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – Two Hampton Roads drug traffickers were sentenced to prison for convictions relating to their trafficking of heroin and other narcotics.
“This case demonstrates the effective partnerships between our federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “We will continue to collaborate in these multi-agency investigations to attain successful prosecutions to remove dangerous drugs and the criminals who distribute them from our communities.”
“The DEA's foremost mission is to safeguard American lives by addressing the ongoing fentanyl crisis and the drug-related violence undermining our communities and families,” stated DEA Washington Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Goumenis. “Individuals like Green and Freeman have engaged in violent drug trafficking, spreading poisons such as fentanyl and heroin in the Hampton Roads area. Their sentencing sends a strong signal that we are committed to the relentless pursuit of eliminating gang violence and the illegal drug trade in our communities.”
“Virginia State Police is grateful for the combined efforts in securing this important conviction. We are always proud to work with our federal and local partners and will continue to do so,” said Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “The safety of the public is our top priority and that includes doing all we can to ensure these dangerous drugs and drug traffickers are off of Virginia’s streets."
According to court documents, during controlled transactions conducted by law enforcement in Hampton on March 28 and April 12, 2024, Sean Maurice Green, aka Nitty, 41, of Newport News, distributed a total of over 51 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl.
On July 24, 2023, Quincy Lawrence Freeman, aka Diddy or Q, 49, of Brooklyn, New York, delivered $130,780 in illegal drug proceeds to a confidential source at a gas station in Norfolk.
On Oct. 16, 2024, Green travelled to Freeman’s apartment in Virginia Beach and obtained 149.64 grams of a mixture of heroin and fentanyl from Freeman. Green then transported the drugs to Newport News where he intended to distribute them. When law enforcement conducted a stop of Green’s vehicle for an expired registration, a narcotics canine alerted to the odor of narcotics and the vehicle was searched. An investigator located the heroin and fentanyl under the driver's seat. During a search incident to his arrest, police recovered approximately $800 in cash from Green.
On Oct. 17, 2024, investigators searched Freeman’s apartment. As they entered the apartment, Freeman attempted to flush narcotics down a toilet. Officers recovered from the toilet 180.10 grams of a substance containing heroin, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, or “ecstasy"), and fentanyl. During the search of the apartment, investigators recovered 1,810.5 grams of cocaine, 989 grams of heroin, Xylazine, marijuana, two firearms, a hydraulic kilogram press, an electronic money counting machine, and approximately $13,330 in cash.
Green pled guilty on June 11 to possession with intent to distribute heroin. On Nov. 24 he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Freeman pled guilty on July 22 to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He was sentenced today to 23 years and four months in prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Virginia State Police, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Hampton Police Department, and Virginia Beach Police investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-38.
Hinds County Man Sentenced for Two Counts of Attempted Production of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS –Joe Lewis, a resident of Hinds County, Mississippi was sentenced to 292 months in federal prison for two counts of Attempted Production of Child Pornography. After release from prison, Lewis will be on supervised release for 10 years and must register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, Joe Lewis, 55, under the pretense of mentoring middle school aged boys, would send money to his victims via Cash App and demand that victims expose their pubic areas to him during FaceTime sessions that Lewis recorded.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Jackson ‘s Office (“FBI”) was contacted by the Jackson Police Department (“JPD”) for assistance in investigating Joe Lewis and identifying other victims. JPD’s investigation began when the mother of one of the minors reported to JPD that an older man had being sending her son money via Cash App. The FBI forensically examined Lewis’ electronic devices and found that Lewis had also been sending obscene sexually explicit abuse materials to young boys in and around Jackson. During the course of the investigation the FBI Jackson was able to locate other minor victims.
“Those who hurt and endanger our children by committing these despicable crimes will not be tolerated and will be held accountable”, said Baxter Kruger, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi. “This lengthy sentence ensures this defendant can never again hurt and abuse children. My office is committed to working with the FBI, Jackson Police Department, and other state and local law enforcement agencies to help protect children.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Rob Eikhoff said, “Those who prey on minors shatter their innocence. Protecting children and holding vile predators, like Joe Lewis, accountable is one of the FBI’s highest priorities. FBI Jackson, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Jackson Police Department stand together to protect our children and ensure justice is served for all who seek to harm them.”
This case was brought as part of a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes prosecuted the case.
Griffin man charged with dogfighting and CARES Act fraudRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Norman Dixson has been arraigned on federal charges of sponsoring and exhibiting a dog in an animal fighting venture, promoting an animal fighting venture, animal crushing, and wire fraud.
“The indictment alleges that Dixson viciously abused dogs and repeatedly lied to obtain COVID relief funds,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This depraved and deceitful conduct cannot be tolerated and commands aggressive prosecution.”
“An important part of the mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving the unemployment insurance program. This collaborative investigative effort with our federal partners reaffirms our commitment to investigate these types of allegations,” said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Dixson is accused of sponsoring and exhibiting dogs in animal fighting ventures on seven occasions. He is also accused of promoting an animal fighting venture and purposefully suffocating a dog.
In addition to the dogfighting- and animal abuse-related offenses, Dixson was charged with defrauding the Small Business Administration and a commercial lender by corruptly obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The indictment alleges, among other untruths, that Dixson submitted a false tax form when obtaining the PPP loans and then lied again when seeking forgiveness for the PPP loans he received.
Finally, Dixson was charged with conducting Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud by submitting fraudulent claims to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development. The indictment alleges that, to steal UI benefits, Dixson filed false and fraudulent applications for UI benefits on behalf of himself and others.
Norman Dixson, 34, of Griffin, Ga., was arraigned on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 28, 2025.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Sistla and Samir Kaushal are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Wausau Man Charged with Possessing Child Pornography
Brett Hart, 23, Wausau, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges that on December 2, 2025, Hart possessed a hard drive containing child pornography.
If convicted, Hart faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Louis Glinzak and Elizabeth Altman are handling the case.
Lac Du Flambeau Man Charged with Straw Purchasing Firearm
Alizay Doss, 27, Lac du Flambeau, Wisconsin, is charged with making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. The indictment alleges that on March 4, 2025, Doss made a false statement to a licensed firearm dealer while purchasing a firearm. Specifically, he represented that he was the actual buyer of the firearm when in fact he purchased the firearm for another individual.
If convicted, Doss faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
The charges against Doss are the result of an investigation conducted by the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, Lac du Flambeau Police Department, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the case.
Madison Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearm
Billy D. Shell, Jr., 28, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that on April 12, 2025, Shell possessed a 9mm handgun.
If convicted, Shell faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force.
Madison Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Ammunition and Unregistered Silencers as a Convicted Felon
Christopher Perrote, 39, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition and possessing unregistered silencers. The indictment alleges that on August 27, 2024, Perrote possessed ammunition and two unregistered silencers after having been previously convicted of a felony offense.
If convicted, Perrote faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison on the ammunition charges, and 10 years in prison on the silencer charges.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, the FBI, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case.
Fitchburg Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Firearms and Ammunition
Owen Roberson, 20, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that on September 29, 2025, Roberson possessed a Glock 21 firearm loaded with .45 caliber ammunition. The indictment further alleges that on September 28, 2025, Roberson possessed an Anderson Manufacturing AM 15 rifle.
If convicted, Roberson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the case.
The firearms cases in the press release are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Investment Company Charged in Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, a 21-count indictment was unsealed charging Nathan Gauvin, also known as “defigray” and “gray,” a citizen of Canada with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, securities fraud, wire fraud, investment advisor fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and aggravated identity theft. The charges arise from Gauvin’s roles in defrauding hundreds of investors in a web-based investment company called Gray Digital Capital Management Inc. (Gray Digital) and in a subsequent scheme to defraud a New York-based financial technology company to obtain credit from two banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). In total, Gauvin fraudulently raised more than $42 million from Gray Digital investors and obtained more than $800,000 in credit from lenders. Gauvin was arrested today in England on a provisional arrest warrant issued from the Eastern District of New York.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the indictment.
“As alleged, the defendant’s investment company was a house of cards constructed with investor funds and held together with lies. When his house of cards collapsed, Gauvin doubled down by obstructing the regulator’s investigation and trying to defraud a lender. Gauvin’s run of lies ends today,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This Office remains deeply committed to protecting the investing public and the integrity of financial markets. We will continue to relentlessly pursue justice for victims of financial fraud.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Fort Worth Regional Office for their valuable assistance on the case.
“Nathan Gauvin allegedly lied about his background, qualifications and purported investment returns to raise at least $42 million from interested investors of his fund. Later, after being notified of a federal investigation into his activities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Gauvin allegedly engaged in a separate scheme, using falsified records, to induce a company to lend him an addition $1.5 million. The FBI remains dedicated to dismantling any smoke and mirrors act targeting unsuspecting victims for financial enrichment.”
“Today’s indictment reflects IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agents continued resolve to investigate and prosecute those who engage in financial crimes,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. “IRS-CI Special Agents are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively uncover and disrupt criminals who conspire to exploit our financial markets.”
As alleged in the indictment, between approximately May 2022 and October 2024, Gauvin and others defrauded investors in Gray Digital and Gray Digital’s flagship fund, the Gray Fund. The Gray Fund purported to offer investors and prospective investors an investment strategy “that blends TradFi (traditional finance) and DeFi (decentralized finance).” Gauvin, who, according to the company’s website and public statements, was Gray Digital’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, lied to investors about his background and experience, as well as Gray Digital’s assets and returns, including by providing investors with fraudulent documents intended to verify Gray Digital’s assets under management and performance. For example, Gauvin and Gray Digital made false claims that the Gray Fund had a cumulative return since inception of 4,384%, and that Gray Digital’s holdings had been verified by an audit firm when, in reality, the asset attestations were based on doctored bank and brokerage statements provided by Gauvin and others to the audit firm and not independently verified. Gauvin raised at least $42 million from investors based on these false claims, including investors in the Eastern District of New York. Rather than invest the funds he raised as represented, Gauvin used most investor deposits to pay investor withdrawals and misappropriated millions of dollars in investor funds, which he spent on luxury goods, jewelry and his personal credit card bills. Gauvin estimated losses from the Gray Digital fraud to be approximately $20 million.
After Gray Digital collapsed in 2024, Gauvin obstructed and attempted to obstruct a SEC investigation into the fraud by providing the SEC with fraudulent documents.
The indictment further alleges that after defrauding Gray Digital’s investors and obstructing the SEC’s investigation, Gauvin undertook yet another fraudulent scheme. Between approximately May 2025 and June 2025, Gauvin and others provided fraudulent bank statements and other false information to a New York-based financial technology company (“FinTech Company-1”) to obtain approximately $800,000 in credit from two FDIC-insured banks. Gauvin used the proceeds to pay personal expenses, including to a private members-only social club in London, England.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If you believe that you or someone you know was victimized by Gauvin, please contact the FBI at http://fbi.gov/graydigitalfraud
The government’s case is being handled by Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Nick M. Axelrod and Jessica K. Weigel are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett.
The Defendant:
NATHAN GAUVIN
Age: 26
CanadaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-357 (LDH)
gauvin_unsealed_indictment.pdfFormer Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Catawba, Virginia youth pastor, who has been in federal custody since his arrest in August for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, pled guilty this week to related federal charges.
Jacob Ryan Barnett, 34, pled guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a 15-year-old child.
“Cases involving adults who use the internet to exploit young people are all too common,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I urge parents to supervise their children’s internet use; vet their social media apps and caution them against answering unsolicited messages and friend requests. It’s disturbingly easy for predators to pose as children online. Barnett might have continued his online hunt for victims if the victim’s mother had not found the conversation between Barnett and the victim and reported it to the FBI.”
“Our children deserve to grow up in a world where adults protect them, not victimize them. Sadly, Jacob Barnett chose to do the latter, and now he will face justice for his crimes,” said Ian Kauffmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division. “The men and women of FBI Richmond will never stop pursuing these harmful predators and removing them from our communities.”
According to court documents, on May 18, 2025, Barnett used TikTok to message the Minor Victim (M.V.) and they began chatting. That same day, Barnett gave M.V. his phone number and the two began texting.
Early on, M.V. told Barnett she was 15. Barnett, however, claimed he was 17 and later sent M.V. images of a young man, which he falsely claimed was him. As their chat progressed, Barnett sent increasingly graphic sexual messages to M.V.
Barnett continued to engage in sexual conversations with M.V. and repeatedly asked her for photos. On May 20, 2025, Barnett told M.V. that he was starting to develop feelings for her. He also said he wanted to “use” M.V. and asked her to tell him about the last time she masturbated or to send him something that he could use to masturbate. In response, M.V. sent Barnett a video of herself masturbating in which her genitals were uncovered.
Evidence at Barnett’s detention hearing earlier this year showed that he continually prowled TikTok, Discord, Snapchat, and other social media apps to solicit minor girls for sexual chats and images. Barnett also solicited young men for selfies and images of their genitals, which he used to pose as a teenaged boy when soliciting girls.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Drew O. Inman is prosecuting the case for the United States.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Former Clayton County jailer pleads guilty to using excessive force against detaineeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A former correctional officer, Jabin Bethea, has pleaded guilty to depriving a pretrial detainee at the Clayton County Jail of his civil rights by tasing him multiple times without justification.
“Corrections officers work long hours in challenging circumstances to maintain order in our district’s jails and prisons, but wanton abuse cannot be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This former officer must be held accountable for using excessive force against a detainee who was complying with his orders and was not acting violently.”
“Correctional officers are entrusted with authority, and with that authority comes the responsibility to treat every detainee with basic dignity and respect. This officer chose to abuse that trust and violate the civil rights of someone in his custody,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who uses unlawful force inside our jails and prisons.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and information presented in court: On May 16, 2024, while employed as a correctional officer at the Clayton County Jail in Jonesboro, Georgia, Jabin Bethea was transferring two detainees between housing units. One of the detainees asked Bethea, “Where am I going?” In response, Bethea handcuffed that detainee and told him to shut up. The two argued on the way to the second housing unit before Bethea removed the detainee’s handcuffs and dared the detainee “to buck.”
After the detainee cursed and insulted Bethea, Bethea slammed the detainee’s head into a wall, threw him on the floor, and ordered him to put his hands behind his back. Video evidence from surveillance and body worn cameras confirms that, even though the detainee remained on the floor and obeyed Bethea’s orders, Bethea tased the detainee at least six times. The detainee suffered bodily injury during the assault.
Sentencing for Jabin Bethea, 29, of Chamblee, Georgia, is scheduled for March 10, 2026 at 11:00, before U.S. District Judge Tiffany R. Johnson. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago today convicted the former Chief of Police in the village of Summit, Ill., of bribery offenses for corruptly accepting money from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.
After a seven-day trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, the jury found JOHN KOSMOWSKI, 57, of Lockport, Ill., guilty of bribery conspiracy, bribery, and obstruction of justice. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger set sentencing for March 27, 2026.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Ardam and Jared Hasten.
Evidence at trial revealed that Kosmowski conspired with a Summit building inspector—WILLIAM MUNDY—to accept $10,000 from a businessman in 2017. Kosmowski and Mundy accepted the money intending to be influenced and rewarded in connection with the transfer of a liquor license to another person. Kosmowski received a cash payment from the businessman in 2017 and then gave Mundy a portion of it.
Mundy, of Summit, Ill., pleaded guilty prior to trial to bribery and tax offenses. He is awaiting sentencing.
The obstruction conviction against Kosmowski stemmed from a meeting he had with Mundy in which Kosmowski informed Mundy of the federal investigation into the bribe. During the meeting, Kosmowski sought to corruptly persuade Mundy to mischaracterize the purpose of the payment by falsely suggesting that it was a loan.
Federal Inmate Sentenced to Serve 30 Additional Years in Prison for Sexual Assault in Federal Transfer CenterRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – JOSEPH FRANCIS BUTLER, 35, of Illinois, has been sentenced to serve an additional 360 months in federal prison for committing aggravated sexual abuse at the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
“Incarceration in a federal prison does not negate the protection of inmates from sexual or violent assaults by other inmates,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “This sentence for Mr. Butler to serve an additional three decades in prison sends a clear message that serious consequences await those who prey on fellow inmates.”
According to public record and evidence presented at trial, on June 4, 2023, Butler, an inmate at the FTC, entered the cell of another inmate and sexually assaulted him. During the sexual assault, Butler held a shank to the victim’s neck and side. At the time, Butler was in federal custody as part of a 125-month prison sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm following his conviction in the District of Minnesota in case number 22-CR-304.
On July 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Butler with aggravated sexual abuse. On March 14, 2025, after a four-day trial, a jury found Butler guilty.
At the sentencing hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Butler to serve 360 months in federal prison, to run consecutively to his existing prison term, followed by ten years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the nature and seriousness of the offense and Butler’s criminal history.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Special Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tiffany Edgmon and Brandon Hale prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Court Permanently Prohibits Tampa-area Pharmacist from Filling Opioids Prescriptions and Pharmacy DissolvedRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL — Monday, a federal court prohibited a Tampa-area pharmacist from filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and entered a civil penalty against him in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
In a complaint filed in August 2022, the United States alleges that Nathaniel Esalomi unlawfully distributed powerful opioids by filling prescriptions he knew were not valid at Apexx Pharmacy in Hudson, Florida, where he was the owner and sole pharmacist. The complaint alleges that Esalomi charged dramatically inflated prices to fill opioid prescriptions and accepted thousands of dollars in cash for the drugs. The complaint further alleges that Esalomi instructed individuals to forge signatures on certain forms and to falsify addresses. The complaint also alleges that Esalomi filled numerous controlled substance prescriptions for persons who were deceased.
“Medical professionals who knowingly facilitate the abuse of opioids violate their legal obligations,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will pursue justice against anyone who seeks to profit from unlawfully distributing opioids.”
“The opioid epidemic has devastated not only our communities here in Florida but the entire nation,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who contributed to this crisis.”
“Approximately 70 percent of all drug overdose deaths in America involve opioids,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “This epidemic began in the mid-1990s, and it’s still something we’re fighting. We will remain steadfast in our effort to remove these poisons from our communities.”
Esalomi agreed to a consent judgment to settle the allegations in the complaint. The order entered by the court permanently prohibits Esalomi from distributing opioids or other controlled substances, permanently prohibits him from managing, owning, or controlling any entity that dispenses controlled substances, and requires Esalomi to pay $10,000 of a $500,000 suspended civil penalty. Apexx Pharmacy was dissolved following the United States’ August 2022 complaint and the federal court’s associated temporary restraining order, and remains dissolved under the terms of the consent order. Esalomi also pleaded no contest to charges brought by the State of Florida in a related criminal case.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber entered the judgment and permanent injunction in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The case was investigated by DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn B. Tapie and Alexandra N. Karahalios for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that the United States would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence if the case proceeded to trial.
Federal Court Permanently Prohibits Tampa-area Pharmacist from Filling Opioids Prescriptions and Pharmacy DissolvedRead the Press Release
Monday, a federal court prohibited a Tampa-area pharmacist from filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances and entered a civil penalty against him in a case alleging violations of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
In a complaint filed in August 2022, the United States alleges that Nathaniel Esalomi unlawfully distributed powerful opioids by filling prescriptions he knew were not valid at Apexx Pharmacy in Hudson, Florida, where he was the owner and sole pharmacist. The complaint alleges that Esalomi charged dramatically inflated prices to fill opioid prescriptions and accepted thousands of dollars in cash for the drugs. The complaint further alleges that Esalomi instructed individuals to forge signatures on certain forms and to falsify addresses. The complaint also alleges that Esalomi filled numerous controlled substance prescriptions for persons who were deceased.
“Medical professionals who knowingly facilitate the abuse of opioids violate their legal obligations,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will pursue justice against anyone who seeks to profit from unlawfully distributing opioids.”
“The opioid epidemic has devastated not only our communities here in Florida but the entire nation,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Our office will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who contributed to this crisis.”
“Approximately 70 percent of all drug overdose deaths in America involve opioids,” said Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration Miami Field Division. “This epidemic began in the mid-1990s, and it’s still something we’re fighting. We will remain steadfast in our effort to remove these poisons from our communities.”
Esalomi agreed to a consent judgment to settle the allegations in the complaint. The order entered by the court permanently prohibits Esalomi from distributing opioids or other controlled substances, permanently prohibits him from managing, owning, or controlling any entity that dispenses controlled substances, and requires Esalomi to pay $10,000 of a $500,000 suspended civil penalty. Apexx Pharmacy was dissolved following the United States’ August 2022 complaint and the federal court’s associated temporary restraining order, and remains dissolved under the terms of the consent order. Esalomi also pleaded no contest to charges brought by the State of Florida in a related criminal case.
U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber entered the judgment and permanent injunction in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. The case was investigated by DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad in the Tampa District Office.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn B. Tapie and Alexandra N. Karahalios for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Scott B. Dahlquist of the Justice Department’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that the United States would need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence if the case proceeded to trial.
Epping Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Purchasing Live-Streamed Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Epping Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison for Purchasing Live-Streamed Child Sex Abuse Material
CONCORD – David Mendum, 46, of Harrisville, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his conduct involving the sexual exploitation of minors, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
On December 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro sentenced Mendum on one count of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity, to 324 months’ imprisonment. The Court also sentenced Mendum to 5 years of federal supervision following his release from prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mendum was paying a child sex trafficker in the Philippines to create live-stream child sexual abuse material and transmit it to him over the internet.
“Today’s sentence reflects the profound seriousness of this crime,” said United States Attorney Creegan. “By paying to watch the live-streamed sexual abuse of children, the defendant fueled the exploitation of the most vulnerable victims. Our office, together with our law enforcement partners, will seek to hold those accountable those who finance and direct the sexual abuse of children.”
“Over the course of years, Mendum paid child traffickers in the Philippines so he could watch and direct the sexual abuse of children. He did this hundreds of times, paying over $39,000. The depravity and scope of this crime are beyond comprehension. Yet our investigators and partners pursued a global investigation to identify and bring Mendum to justice for his irreparable abuse of children,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today’s sentence shows just how seriously we take these crimes. We can’t give back the years stolen from the children he victimized, but with every predator we bring to justice, we gain critical intelligence and move one step closer to stopping other offenders like him.”
The Department of Homeland Security led the investigation. The New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Epping Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Eight Individuals Charged with Cocaine and Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Eight individuals from Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, California, and Massachusetts have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The 12-count Superseding Indictment names the following individuals as defendants:
Name
Age
Residence
Derrick Lyman59
McKeesport, PADaniel Jackson48
Penn Hills, PADevlin Clifford46
Monroeville, PARobert East69
Delaware, OHJose Sanchez-Polanco43
Lawrence, MAErnesto Castillo29
Lynwood, CARicardo Escalona41
Winter Park, FLDionisio Gonzalez-Diaz57
Homestead, FLAccording to the Superseding Indictment, on or about May 28, 2024, Castillo is alleged to have unlawfully possessed with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, while, on or about June 6, 2024, Escalona also unlawfully possessed with the intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine. The Superseding Indictment also charges that, on June 27, 2024, the defendants all conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and that, on the same date, Lyman possessed with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, with Lyman, Jackson, and Clifford all also possessing a firearm as previously convicted felons and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Additionally, on that date, Jackson possessed with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and Clifford possessed with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
For Lyman and Clifford, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $20 million, or both. For Jackson, East, Sanchez-Polanco, Castillo, Escalona, and Gonzalez-Diaz, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $10 million, or both. In relation to the firearms charges for Lyman, Jackson, and Clifford, the law provides for a maximum sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense(s) and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The HSTF for the Western District of Pennsylvania comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
East Texas men sentenced to federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in Rusk CountyRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas –Two East Texas men have been sentenced to federal prison for a drug trafficking violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
James Robert Porter, 47, of Henderson, and Richard Lynn Sledge, 67, of Athens, each pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on December 10, 2025. Porter was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison and Sledge received a sentence of 30 months in federal prison.
According to information presented in court, on April 12, 2023, Porter and Sledge sold 25.49 grams of methamphetamine to another person in Henderson for $350. In addition, on June 7, 2023, Porter sold 51.2 grams of methamphetamine to another person in Henderson for $625. When Porter was arrested on July 10, 2024, agents recovered another 24.04 grams of methamphetamine from his vehicle and inside his business.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Henderson Police Department, and Rusk County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lucas Machicek.
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East Bay Woman Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Embezzling over $1.6 Million from Charity Serving Young PeopleRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Carrie Lynn Grant was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for embezzling over $1.6 million dollars from a Northern California charity organization that provides educational materials and programs to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín handed down the sentence this week.
Grant, 62, of Pleasant Hill, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2024. Grant pleaded guilty on August 11, 2025, to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement and court documents, over a period of years from November 2017 to June 2023, Grant abused her role as the finance manager of the charity, depositing charity money into her personal account while creating fraudulent records to cover her tracks. Grant spent the money on, among other things, first-class air travel, floor seats for a Golden State Warriors game, box seats for a San Francisco 49ers game, and a condominium in Hawaii. In total, Grant stole more than $1.6 million dollars from the non-profit organization.
United States Attorney Craig Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martínez-Olguín also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The Court will determine the amount of restitution Grant must pay at a later date. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on March 9, 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan M. Mateer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Christine Tian and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Detroit Man Charged with Carjacking, Attempted Murder of ATF Special AgentsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Terrance Markyce Davis, 33, of Detroit, Michigan, was indicted by a federal grand jury for carjacking, assaulting and attempting to murder ATF Special Agents, and weapons offenses, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Detroit Field Division, Chief Todd Bettison, Detroit Police Department, and Colonel James F. Grady II, Director, Michigan State Police.
According to court documents, between November 5, 2025, and November 13, 2025, Davis fired shots into several houses and cars in Detroit, seriously injuring one person. On November 14, 2025, ATF Special Agents obtained an arrest warrant, charging Davis in connection with felon in possession of ammunition for one of those shootings. When agents attempted to arrest Davis, he fled in his vehicle. While fleeing from agents, Davis carjacked a person and exchanged gunfire with ATF agents. Michigan State Police Troopers eventually disabled the stolen vehicle that Davis was driving, and Davis fled on foot, armed with a handgun. Davis was shot by Detroit Police Officers and taken into custody. Preliminary ballistics testing shows that the firearm Davis had in his hands while he ran from police was the same firearm used to shoot at ATF Agents, and the same firearm used in the shootings between November 5 and November 13.
“This man is an agent of chaos,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “He tore through our city streets, raising hell. We are thankful for the brave men who put a stop to the defendant’s rampage.”
“Terrance DAVIS is a poster child for the work being done by ATF across the state of Michigan. He is a predator armed with an illegal firearm that ATF and its partners identified through NIBIN, said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Carjacking, assaulting, and attempting to murder ATF federal agents strike at the very heart of our community and its public safety. When individuals are alleged to commit violence at this level, we will respond decisively with sound policing techniques and strategies using every lawful tool to bring these urban terrorists to the federal justice system.”
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Detroit, Police Department, and the Michigan State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Picek and John Turrettini.
Destin Man Charged in Federal Indictment for Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marcus Bernard Clark, 30, of Destin, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with fraud and related activity in connection with fifteen or more access devices and aggravated identity theft. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Clark appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on December 2, 2025, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for January 20, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Penscaola, Florida.
If convicted, Clark faces up to ten years imprisonment, with two years as a minimum mandatory sentence.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
D.C. Campaign Finance Consultant Sentenced to Prison in $1.5 Million Fraud of Covid-Era Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jennifer May, 43, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to more than 12 months in federal prison for her role in a scheme that defrauded $1,500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Government, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
May pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, 2025, to an Information charging her with one count of wire fraud. In addition to the more than 12-month term of incarceration, Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered May to serve three years of supervised release. Under the terms of her plea agreement, May also must return the $1,500,000 to the United States.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division
According to court documents, May was founder and owner of Next Level Partners LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assisting campaigns with complying with campaign finance regulations and managing their accounts payable functions.
In October 2021, May applied for a second modification to an original EIDL application, requesting an additional $1,500,000 in EIDL funds for Next Level Partners.
The EIDL was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in which the U.S. Small Business Administration offered small business owners low-interest, long-term loans. The funds were intended to be used for working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt.
May falsely certified on loan applications that she would use all loan proceeds only for business-related purposes. Yet the very same day that the SBA disbursed the funds to NLP’s account, May began diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars into her personal accounts and, from there, to cryptocurrency exchanges where she speculated on a thinly traded crypto-asset called “Tomb.”
Upon sustaining hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses from her speculation, May took what remained of the EIDL funds and went on to purchase real estate in Middleburg, Virginia and to buy a restaurant-bar-childcare space in Northeast Washington known as The Lane at Ivy City. The purchases were completely unrelated to NLP’s business operations.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
25cr211
Court Approves Justice Department’s Settlement in UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys MergerRead the Press Release
The United States District Court for the District of Maryland today entered the Final Judgment proposed by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, together with its state co-Plaintiffs, requiring broad divestitures to resolve Plaintiffs’ challenge to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated’s (UnitedHealth) $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys Inc. In addition, Amedisys must pay a $1.1 million civil penalty to the United States for falsely certifying that it had provided “true, correct, and complete” responses under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.
“Under President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, this Department of Justice has moved quickly to resolve transactions, ensuring Americans see the benefits sooner,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “This settlement preserves competition where it matters most for American families – healthcare.”
“This is a tremendous outcome for competition in the healthcare industry, where competition itself is critical to the public interest and the well-being of all Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “I commend the Antitrust Division’s Staff for prosecuting this case throughout a contentious litigation to reach this settlement on behalf of seniors, hospice patients, nurses, and their families.”
The settlement requires UnitedHealth and Amedisys to divest at least 164 home health and hospice locations (including one affiliated palliative care facility) across 19 states, accounting for approximately $528 million in annual revenue. By number of facilities, this is the largest divestiture of outpatient healthcare services to resolve a merger challenge. In addition, the proposed settlement:
- Obligates UnitedHealth to divest eight additional locations if it fails to obtain regulatory approval for the divestiture of associated facilities without the additional locations;
- Imposes a monitor to supervise UnitedHealth’s divestiture of the assets and compliance with the consent decree;
- Provides the divestiture buyers with the assets, personnel, and relationships to compete against UnitedHealth in the overlap areas;
- Incorporates robust protections to strengthen adherence to the decree and deter interference with the divestiture buyers’ ability to compete; and
- Requires Amedisys to pay a $1.1 million civil penalty and train its corporate and field leadership on antitrust compliance for falsely certifying that the company had truthfully, correctly, and completely responded to the United States’ requests for documents.
The Court has appointed William E. Berlin, of Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, to serve as monitor in this matter.
UnitedHealth is a vertically integrated insurer, healthcare provider, pharmacy benefit manager, and healthcare software and services vendor headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. UnitedHealth acquired Amedisys’s home health and hospice rival LHC Group Inc. (LHC) in 2023. Amedisys was a home health and hospice services provider headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Clark County Employee Indicted for Stealing Money from the Estates of Deceased County ResidentsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Clark County employee, who used her position with the County to gain access to the financial accounts of deceased Clark County residents, made her initial appearance in court today on a federal indictment that charged her with three counts of laundering the proceeds of her scheme to bilk the estates of the deceased residents for tens of thousands of dollars.
According to allegations in the indictment, TinaTheresa Poto-Nunu was employed by the Clark County Public Guardian’s Office where she unlawfully gained access to the financial information of deceased Clark County residents whose estates were administered by the Clark County Public Administrator. According to the indictment, Poto-Nunu then used that information to gain access to the financial accounts of the deceased individuals and then fraudulently transferred money from those accounts to pay down a credit card account she used for her personal expenses such as travel and rent.
Poto-Nunu is charged with one count of money laundering and two counts of money transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted of all counts, the statutory maximum penalty is 40 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory for the IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Chinese National Charged with Illegally Possessing Counterfeit Gift CardsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Birmingham has charged a Chinese national with possessing counterfeit gift cards, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Xiebin Xue, 40, with possession of fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices.
According to the indictment, on January 10, 2024, Xue was found in possession of at least 33 gift cards that had been re-encoded with card numbers different from the card numbers printed on the cards and at least two gift cards that bore fake bar code labels that did not match the printed and encoded numbers on the cards.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the charged offense is 10 years imprisonment.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Canton Man Sentenced to more than 3 Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Canton, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Wire Fraud and two counts of Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on December 5, 2025.
Gary Aaron King, 51, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,418,220.87 in restitution.
King was indicted for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025.
Between July 2022 and January 2023, King, the sole owner of Cypress Risk Management, LLC, collected insurance premiums from client colleges for student athlete insurance coverage and then embezzled the funds for his own personal benefit. Rather than remitting those premiums to the managing general agents as he was required, King used more than $1,400,000.00 for another business venture and to purchase a luxury home. When questioned by the managing general agents regarding the payments on the policies the colleges had purchased, King provided false explanations and sent checks to the managing general agents that were returned as insufficient funds.
“Federal investigators are committed to rooting out fraud wherever it exists,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “This sentence, which includes full restitution for the institutions fleeced by this defendant, is another reminder that the bill for committing fraud will eventually come due and be paid with a term of years.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
King was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A California man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a wide-ranging business email compromise and money laundering scheme that defrauded companies, individuals, and the Town of Bristol out of nearly $9 million dollars, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Alec Tahir Baker, 61, of Corona, CA, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2025, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Baker will be sentenced on February 24, 2026. The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Baker participated in a conspiracy that used phishing and spoofed vendor emails to gain access to victim computer networks and redirect legitimate wire transfers into bank accounts that he controlled. Baker opened dozens of bank accounts in his name and in the names of fraudulent companies. He received more than $7.6 million of the fraudulent funds and rapidly withdrew, transferred, or layered the funds (including through cryptocurrency accounts) to disguise their origin.
Baker and his co-conspirators also gained access to the Town of Bristol’s computer network in January 2023, causing $310,500 in municipal funds to be wired into an account in Baker’s name, who then withdrew the funds or transferred them into other accounts.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bristol Police Department; Genesee County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Baltimore County, MD Police Department; Hartland, Wisconsin Police Department; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
CEO of Scalpa, Inc. Indicted on Mail, Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal grand jury sitting in the U.S. District Court in Abingdon, returned an indictment in July 2024 charging Bryce Cleveland, the President and CEO of Scalpa, Inc., with mail fraud, wire fraud, and other charges related to Scalpa’s selling of skincare products that had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Cleveland, 42, of Scottsdale, Arizona, made his initial court appearance in the Western District of Virginia yesterday following his arrest last month. Cleveland was apprehended in Colombia and arrested in Florida on an outstanding federal warrant by the United States Marshals Service.
According to the indictment, Scalpa was a for-profit corporation incorporated in Arizona in 2015 that marketed and sold medical devices and drug products intended to affect the structure and function of the human body. These products included the Fibroblast Pen, Hyaluron Pen, Hyaluronic Acid, and Scalpatox.
The indictment alleges that between 2018 and December 2020, Cleveland devised a scheme to unlawfully enrich himself by marketing, and causing others to market, unapproved devices, including but not limited to the Fibroblast Pen and Hyaluron Pen, to consumers while representing that the unapproved devices were not regulated. In addition, the indictment alleges Cleveland concealed and omitted, and caused others to conceal and omit, the fact that the Fibroblast Pen and Hyaluron Pen were, in fact, regulated products. The indictment further alleges that Cleveland introduced into commerce an unapproved new drug, Scalpatox.
Cleveland is charged with 12 counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of introduction of adulterated devices into interstate commerce, and one count of introduction of an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce, totaling 34 counts.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Ronald Dawkins with U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and United States Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division - Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood made the announcement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration—Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Randy Ramseyer and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Justus Hogge are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bryan County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sammy Lynn Key, age 45, of Colbert, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Atoka County Sheriff’s Office.
On August 5, 2025, Key pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 23, 2022, deputies investigating reports of a stolen vehicle discovered Key in possession of a .38 Special caliber revolver. At the time of the investigation, Key had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Key will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Brookline Man Arrested for Attempted Coercion and Enticement and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brookline man has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to coerce and entice the transfer of obscene material to a minor.
William Kahn, 28, was charged with attempted coercion and enticement and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Following an initial appearance in federal court yesterday, Kahn was detained pending a detention hearing on Dec. 17, 2025.
According to the charging document, between June 2025 and August 2025, Kahn engaged in online conversations with an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl. It is alleged that Kahn engaged in sexually explicit chat discussions with the purported minor, sent a photograph of adult genitalia and discussed meeting in person with the purported minor.
The charge of attempted coercion and enticement provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuabe assistance was provided by the Brookline, Boston and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Enticing A Minor and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that DANIEL BATISTA was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to 18 years in prison for enticing a minor and possessing child pornography. BATISTA previously pled guilty on July 9, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
“Daniel Batista paid a mother to create child pornography of her own daughter,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He then used that child pornography both to gratify himself and to try to convince other parents to do the same. Today, the victims, families, and all New Yorkers get justice. Batista’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and our commitment to combat child sexual exploitation.”
According to the allegations in the Information, public filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:
In February 2024, while BATISTA was on probation following his guilty plea to forcibly touching the sexual or intimate parts of a 14-year-old girl on an MTA bus under New York penal law, BATISTA’s probation officers discovered more than a dozen deleted videos and images of child pornography on his cellphone. Several of the images depicted a particular prepubescent victim (“Minor Victim-1”). Further investigation revealed that, in approximately January and February 2024, BATISTA paid the mother of Minor Victim-1 over $1,000 to produce child pornography of Minor Victim-1 and send it to BATISTA. In addition, voice messages on BATISTA’s cellphone showed that BATISTA sometimes communicated directly with Minor Victim-1 and encouraged Minor Victim‑1 to make videos touching herself to send to BATISTA. BATISTA sent two images of child pornography depicting Minor Victim-1 to another parent to try to persuade that parent to produce child pornography of that parent’s children.
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In addition to the prison term, BATISTA, 57, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Rosenberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Bixby Tattoo Artist Charged with Six Counts of Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A criminal complaint was unsealed charging a Bixby tattoo artist with six separate counts of Sexual Contact in Indian Country.
Today, Austin Wayne Haley, 30, appeared before the court for engaging in unwanted sexual contact with six women whom he was tattooing. Court documents allege that from the fall of 2024 through December 2025, each victim scheduled a tattoo session with Haley at his home or tattoo studio. During the appointment and while Haley was tattooing the victims, he positioned his bare penis on the victims’ body and ejaculated on some of them.
Haley is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
The FBI and the Bixby Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baldwin Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Christian Anthony Vanderveen, 25, of Baldwin, Michigan, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
In December 2024, a woman called 911 to report that Vanderveen had been sending explicit pictures to her 11-year-old daughter. A police investigation led to a search at Vanderveen’s home and the seizure of multiple devices. In reviewing his cell phone, law enforcement discovered that Vanderveen repeatedly asked for and received child pornography from the 11-year-old girl, as well as posing as a girl online in an attempt to get sexually explicit images from another minor.
“Judge Beckering’s sentence today sends a clear message to anyone who is thinking of preying on our kids—just don’t do it. If you do, we will find you and the consequences will be severe,” said United States Attorney Timothy VerHey.
“This sentencing demonstrates the serious consequences awaiting those who target and prey on children,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The sexual exploitation of these children was stopped due to the excellent investigative teamwork of the FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force, the Michigan State Police, along with the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. The FBI and its partners in Michigan remain committed to doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable populations from harm.”
“Protecting children is one of our highest responsibilities,” said Captain Jason Nemecek of the Michigan State Police 6th District Command. “The Michigan State Police will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate and support the prosecution of individuals who commit these horrific crimes. Today’s sentence reinforces our unwavering dedication to bringing child predators to justice and ensuring victims are protected.”
The Michigan State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, including resources for parents and children about staying safe online, please visit justice.gov/PSC.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Assault on Border Patrol AgentsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer after ramming a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle while fleeing in a stolen car in Las Cruces.
According to court documents, on March 31, 2025, Christopher Jack Leach, 33, learned there was a warrant for his arrest in Arizona, borrowed a friend’s vehicle under false pretenses, and fled toward Florida with a passenger knowing the vehicle was stolen. He traveled across state lines while evading law enforcement.
On April 2, 2025, Leach was driving the stolen vehicle through Las Cruces when he saw law enforcement following him and fled at a high rate of speed. U.S. Border Patrol agents responded and during the pursuit Leach accelerated toward an unmarked Border Patrol vehicle on a narrow street, prompting an agent to exit. Leach continued his flight, at one point driving into the agents’ vehicle, causing a collision, and fleeing the scene. Leach was later apprehended by the New Mexico State Police.
Leach pleaded guilty to assault upon a federal officer involving physical contact. At sentencing, he faces up to eight years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, New Mexico State Police, and Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting the case.
Aberdeen Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on December 4, 2025.
Calvin Taylor, 42, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Taylor was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025.
In February 2024, Taylor began having packages of methamphetamine mailed to various addresses in Aberdeen and the surrounding area from a source of supply in California. Taylor then sold the drugs to other members of a conspiracy of which he was a member who distributed it in the Aberdeen area. Approximately 4.5 pounds of distributed methamphetamine was attributed to Taylor at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Taylor must self-report to the U.S. Marshals Service on or before December 26, 2025.
Aberdeen Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on December 8, 2025.
Christopher Emmanuel Walton, 35, was sentenced to serve five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Walton was indicted for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.
Walton is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior domestic violence conviction. In June 2024, Walton’s roommate borrowed his car to go target shooting. When he returned home, the roommate inadvertently left a pistol in the trunk. Later that day, Walton discovered the firearm in his vehicle as he was preparing to leave for parenting time with his children. Since he was already late, Walton put the firearm inside his backpack rather than take it back inside to his roommate. An Edmunds County deputy pulled Walton over and found the firearm in the trunk of his vehicle.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
9 December 2025
Wheeling Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephen J. Booker, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking and a firearms violation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Booker, also known as “Flock,” pled guilty in February 2025 to five counts. According to statements made in court, Booker sold methamphetamine and fentanyl in Warwood, WV, and on Wheeling Island. During one of the sales, Booker displayed a firearm. The firearm was privately made, also known as a “ghost gun.” Addition to the firearm, Booker possessed 47 rounds of ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Wewoka Residents Plead Guilty to Assault and Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Demontrae Davion Rogers, age 20, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, and Damarion Hiawatha Nichols, age 21, of Moore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to charges related to assaults occurring on April 2, 2024, in Wewoka, Oklahoma.
Rogers entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and one count of Use, Carry, and Brandish of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by ten years to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Nichols entered a guilty plea to four counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Indictment alleged that on April 2, 2024, Rogers assaulted a victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm, and knowingly brandished a firearm, and that Nichols assaulted four victims with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm.
The crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Rogers and Nichols will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Wayne County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randy Price, 52, of Wayne, was sentenced on October 2, 2025, to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2019, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Price in Charleston. Price attempted to flee on foot but was captured. Law enforcement seized a Raven Arms MP-25 .25-caliber pistol from the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Price knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on June 28, 2002.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-97.
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Washington man sentenced to 11 years in prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Washington man who possessed fentanyl was sentenced today to 135 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Skyler Christian Crowder, 31, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement officers responded to a call of a fentanyl pill found in a motel room in Missoula on October 7, 2024. The occupant, Skyler Crowder, had requested to move to a new room and the pill was located when the room was cleaned. They also reported Crowder had taken out his own trash when he switched rooms, which they thought was odd. Law enforcement located two vacuum-seal bags (one with a remnant of a blue pill) and drug paraphernalia in the outside garbage. Law enforcement reviewed surveillance and saw approximately 12 different people visited Crowder over 24 hours. Several appeared to be under the influence. The activity was consistent with individuals purchasing illegal drugs.
Law enforcement contacted Crowder in his new room. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies located methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and firearms.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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United States Department of Justice Transfers 14 Mexican Nationals with Drug or Firearm Convictions to Mexico Under International Prisoner Transfer TreatyRead the Press Release
The United States Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, with support from the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), transferred 14 Mexican nationals on Friday to Mexican authorities pursuant to the International Prisoner Transfer Treaty between the United States and Mexico. Each individual was serving a federal sentence in the United States for drug-distribution offenses, illegal firearms offenses, or both.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director Shane Salem of BOP’s Correctional Programs Division made the announcement.
All 14 inmates requested transfer to their home country. Following approval by both governments, the inmates were transferred on Dec. 5 and will serve the remainder of their sentences in Mexico under the terms of the treaty.
These transfers were conducted through the congressionally authorized International Prisoner Transfer Program. The Criminal Division’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU), housed in the Office of International Affairs, administers the program and coordinates all treaty-based transfers. Through this program, eligible foreign nationals in federal and state custody may, under certain conditions, be transferred to their country of nationality to complete their sentences. The United States currently maintains 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions, providing treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.
The same treaties also permit American nationals incarcerated abroad to apply for transfer to the United States. On Dec. 9, three U.S. citizens convicted for controlled-substance trafficking were transferred to the United States. The remaining terms on their sentences range from 22 months to four and a half years.
To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu.
United States Citizen Successfully Extradited from South Africa After Kidnapping His Children in 2021Read the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Wisconsin man, Clyde Lewis Springfield (41) with the crime of international parental kidnapping.
According to a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, on or about October 29, 2021, Springfield left the United States with his four children and failed to return two of them on November 3, 2021, in accordance with their child custody agreement. Travel records showed that the defendant took his children to South Africa and did not return them to the United States on their scheduled return flight. Authorities obtained a federal criminal complaint against Springfield on November 24, 2021.
On March 16, 2022, through combined efforts of the Department of Justice and law enforcement, the children were located, rescued, and returned safely to the United States. Through an international extradition process, Springfield was returned to the United States on November 20, 2025, and arrested.If convicted of international parental kidnapping, he faces up to three years of prison, up to a $250k fine, and up to one year of supervised release.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Allis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the United States Marshall’s Service (USMS) are investigating this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in South Africa to secure the arrest and November 20 extradition to the United States of Lewis-Springfield. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan J. Thomas is prosecuting the case.This investigation is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting and Robbing WomenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A United States Customs and Border Protection officer has been indicted on federal civil rights charges for allegedly sexually assaulting and robbing multiple women in the Chicago suburbs.
An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges LUIS URIBE, 44, of Pingree Grove, Ill., with ten counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Uribe was arrested this morning. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment this afternoon in federal court. U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Erin Silk, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Region of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Uribe performed both customs and immigration duties for CBP in the Chicago area. As a CBP officer, Uribe had the authority to carry a firearm and make arrests for felony and other relevant offenses. The indictment accuses Uribe of acting under color of law when he sexually assaulted and robbed two women. Uribe allegedly brandished a firearm in at least one of the sexual assaults.
He also robbed and attempted to sexually assault two other women, the indictment states.
The robberies, sexual assaults, and attempted sexual assaults occurred in 2022 in Schaumburg, Ill., and Naperville, Ill., the indictment states.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Please contact this secure phone number if you have information about these crimes or if you have been a victim of Luis Uribe: (312) 239-7423. Your information is important. The phone service will be available in both English and Chinese. 如果您有相关信息或您曾受到此人伤害，请您立刻拨打我们的保密电话号码。您的信息很重要。(312) 239-7423.
uribe_indictment.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office and Polyclinic resolve allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Polyclinic, d/b/a Optum Care Washington, has resolved allegations one of its medical facilities failed on multiple occasions to provide sign language interpreter services for a patient who is deaf and blind, in violation of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the terms of the settlement, the Polyclinic will pay $25,000 to the patient who had multiple appointments either cancelled or with inadequate interpreter services. The Polyclinic has also set up a fund of $350,000 to compensate any other patients who were impacted by the clinics’ failure to have appropriate interpreter services during the Claims Period between January 1, 2021, and September 30, 2025. In addition to the financial payments Polyclinic will take several steps to ensure compliance with the ADA.
The Polyclinic commits to having appropriate interpreter services available for all patients and will contract with no fewer than five companies to provide interpreter services. As part of its intake process for patients the Polyclinic will assess the need for appropriate aids or services. The Polyclinic will designate a point person to oversee assistive devices and services, and that person will have additional staffers who can arrange appropriate services. This group of employees will undergo mandatory training approved by the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding the steps to identify communication needs and secure interpreter services. Training will also be provided to all staff who have patient contact.
The Polyclinic will maintain a log of patients or companions who need assistive services, and the services provided. If services are not provided the log will explain the circumstances. These logs will be part of the Compliance Report that the Polyclinic will periodically provide to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Polyclinic will post information in Braille as well printed signs about the Auxiliary Aids and Services it has available. The information will also be posted on the Polyclinic website about ways to request such services.
Every six months Polyclinic will prepare a compliance report for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If there are any complaints about failing to provide appropriate auxiliary aids or services those complaints must be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney’s Office within 30 days.
The Polyclinic will pay the United States $25,000 to vindicate the public interest in enforcement of the ADA. The Polyclinic will name a Claims Administrator to review its records to determine if there are other patients who were harmed by the failure to provide appropriate assistive services during the Claims Period. The list of patients and the number of appointments cancelled or impacted will be provided to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Those patients will be contacted by the Claims Administrator about a potential claim. There will also be a website where potentially eligible claimants can get more information. Eligible claimants may seek compensation from the $350,000 fund set up by Polyclinic. Any remaining funds after all legitimate claims have been processed will be returned to the Polyclinic.
The agreement between Polyclinic and the U.S. Attorney’s Office lasts for two years.
This is the fourth medical group to resolve allegations it violated the rights of patients who are deaf or deaf/blind. Over the past three years the U.S. Attorney’s Office has resolved cases with MultiCare Health systems , PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, and University of Washington Medical Center – Northwest (UWMC-NW).
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Kas, Civil Rights Coordinator in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Copies of the settlement are available upon request.
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Kanawha County residents pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025, to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.
Amanda Marie Mace, also known as “A,” 42, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and Adrian Lamont Carter, 45, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mace took part in the conspiracy between June 2024 and April 2025. As part of her guilty plea, Mace admitted that she obtained at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine during the time period from co-conspirator Robert Ford, and that he transported it to West Virginia from Detroit, Michigan. Mace further admitted that she made $200 to $300 for each pound of methamphetamine she sold for Ford, that her main customers were re-distributing the methamphetamine that she sold to them, and that she sold most of her methamphetamine to co-conspirators Michael Allen Corkhill and Quanda Kiev Wilborne.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Carter obtained fentanyl from an out-of-town source and distributed it to several customers in the Charleston area. When officers executed a search warrant at his Charleston home in April 2025, they located a quantity of fentanyl as well as other items indicative of fentanyl distribution.
Mace and Carter are scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2026. Mace faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Carter faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Mace, Carter, Ford, Corkhill, and Wilborne are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty including Mace, Carter, and Wilborne, also known as “Quan” and “Queso,” 29, of Charleston. Four additional defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-78.
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Two Georgia Men Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – On October 14, 2025, Reginald Bernard Daniely Jr., also known as “Yo,” 34, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and Jacquis Christopher Moody, also known as “Jo,” 30, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, both for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington apartment where Daniely and Moody had been staying. Officers seized approximately 13.814 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, approximately 38.827 grams of crack, and two firearms during the search. As part of their guilty pleas, Daniely and Moody each admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances. Daniely and Moody each further admitted to possessing the two seized firearms.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-17.
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Tucson Man Indicted for Unauthorized Excavation and Trafficking of Archeological Resources from the Gila River Indian CommunityRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 3, 2025, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a two-count indictment against Leo Reynoso, 46, of Tucson, Arizona, for violations of the Archeological Resources Protection Act.
The indictment alleges that Reynoso excavated, removed, or damaged archeological resources, without authorization, that were located on the Gila River Indian Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe. Reynoso excavated and removed numerous artifacts from known archeological sites located on tribal land. The items included Indian Trader tokens, coins, buttons, crucifixes, jewelry, and other items. The indictment also alleges that Reynoso trafficked archeological resources by selling some of the items that were excavated without a permit. An archeological damage assessment estimated the commercial value of the artifacts to be approximately $5,700; the archeological value to be approximately $29,000; and the cost of restoration and repair of the sites to be approximately $23,000.
A conviction for each count of Unauthorized Excavation of Archeological Resources and Trafficking in Archeological Resources carries a maximum penalty two years imprisonment and a $20,000 fine.
The United States Forest Service and the Gila River Indian Community Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-05253-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-172_Reynoso
# # #For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Three defendants in significant gun and drug involved cases sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Three Seattle area men were sentenced in October 2025 to significant federal prison sentences due to their convictions for drug trafficking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
The longest sentence, ten years, was imposed on Anthony Raymond Dodd, 36, of Seattle. Dodd was convicted of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on July 25, 2025 following a three-day trial. At the sentencing hearing on October 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun noted that the offense was very serious, given the danger of fentanyl in our communities, and that it was compounded by the fact that Dodd had a gun and was on Department of Corrections community custody at the time of the offense.
In Tacoma, Chief Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced a drug trafficker connected to an Aryan Family prison gang to six years in prison. Philip Boorkman was a key drug distributor in one of three related drug trafficking groups. Boorkman was indicted in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in January 2025. At the October 3, 2025, sentencing hearing Judge Estudillo said, “This is a serious offense…The amount of damage it does to the community is probably immeasurable in terms of lives lost and all of the ripple effects from people who are addicted.”
In asking for a seven-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Boorkman was a trusted member of a large distribution network responsible for distributing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. Based on Boorkman’s trusted role in the organization, there is no question that he understood the devastating impact these drugs were having on the community.”
And finally, on October 1, 2025, U.S District Judge Tana Lin sentenced Tacoma resident Marquise Tolbert, 30, to 39 months in prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession. Tolbert pleaded guilty to federal charges in March 2025.
Investigators with the FBI Safe Streets task force, the DEA, and the Seattle Police Gun Violence Reduction Unit were investigating a drug trafficking organization when Tolbert and his coconspirators were heard on a wiretap discussing a shoot-out in Federal Way. From that point on, investigators worked to identify those who were possessing and using firearms as part of their criminal activity. Investigators heard Tolbert discussing his purchase of the Ruger firearm from another member of the conspiracy. On the day he bought the gun, law enforcement, surveilled Tolbert, followed him to his residence, arrested him, and secured the firearm.
Prior to the federal investigation, in 2020, Tolbert was involved in a shootout at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle. One woman was killed, and seven other bystanders were injured in the gun battle. Tolbert was acquitted in state court on murder and assault charges connected to the incident. He was convicted of illegal firearms possession.
The case against Anthony Raymond Dodd was investigated by the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Seattle Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson and Rachel Yemini.
The case against Philip Boorkman was investigated by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.
Marquise Tolbert was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the DEA as part of their focus on getting firearms off the streets. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michelle Jensen.
Three Sentenced in Connection with Gang-Related Kidnapping and Murder; Shooter Receives Life SentenceRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Delaware – Last week, three defendants were sentenced in connection with a kidnapping and murder committed by members of the Shotgun Crips gang, announced Julianne E. Murray, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Kimon Burton-Roberson, 32, who executed the victim by shooting him in the head with an assault rifle, received a life sentence. Jamil Salahuddin, 22, who helped abduct the victim out of his Wilmington home and beat him in the head with a tire iron, received a sentence of 17.5 years in prison. And Stephanie Bultes-Ramirez, 27, who drove the vehicle in which the victim was transported from Wilmington to Philadelphia and ultimately to the murder scene in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, received a sentence of 10 years in prison. Chief District Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentences.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Shotgun Crips targeted the victim, a 35-year-old Wilmington resident, after he and Burton-Roberson became embroiled in a dispute. Shortly after midnight on July 21, 2021, members of the gang—including Burton-Roberson, Salahuddin, and Josiah Rivera—invaded the victim’s home. They beat the victim with a tire iron and a pry bar, bound his hands behind his back with zip ties, and forced him into Burton-Roberson’s Jeep, which was being driven by Bultes-Ramirez. The gang then drove the victim to Philadelphia, continuing to beat him on the drive. In Philadelphia, they picked up gang higher-up Dwayne Alexander, who directed the gang to an industrial park in Yeadon. There, Burton-Roberson executed the still-bound victim by shooting him in the head with an assault rifle. After the murder, the gang tried to cover its tracks by, among other things, scrubbing the Jeep for forensic evidence and terminating service on the cell-phone numbers they had been using that night.
Two additional defendants are awaiting sentencing in federal court—Rodney Chambers, whose sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2025, and Dwayne Alexander, whose sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2026. A sixth defendant, Josiah Rivera, is awaiting sentencing in the Superior Court for the State of Delaware. Rivera was not charged federally because he was a minor at the time of the crime.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Murray stated, “This crime was utterly depraved, and these lengthy prison sentences reflect the egregiousness of the offense. The Department of Justice hopes that this case will send a clear message to other would-be gang members: gang-related violence will be met with the harshest possible penalties for all involved, no matter how large or small their role.”
“The FBI is proud to work alongside our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure the violent gang members involved in this horrific crime are held fully accountable. We hope their sentencings, including Kimon Burton-Roberson’s life sentence, deliver a sense of justice to the victim’s grieving family,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s relentless determination to remove violent offenders from our communities.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice to ensure that these violent offenders are held accountable for their actions,” said Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos. “These lengthy prison sentences send a clear message that senseless violence like this will never be tolerated.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force, the Wilmington Police Department, the Yeadon Borough Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Delaware Probation and Parole. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Wallace and Michelle L. Morgan (now with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania) handled the third superseding indictment, the trial, and the sentencings of all defendants. Others involved in the investigation and prosecution include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce, Ruth Mandelbaum (now with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania), and Maureen McCartney (also now with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania), as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli H. Klein.
A copy of this press release can be located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-CR-17-CFC.
St. Louis County Fossil Company Operator Sentenced for Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Tuesday ordered a fossil company owner to repay $106,923 in Social Security disability benefits that he’d obtained through disability fraud.
Judge Bluestone also placed Scott A. Taylor on probation for five years. After having been granted disability benefits, Taylor opened Taylor Made Fossils, which made fossil recreations. While repeatedly falsely claiming to be too disabled to work, Taylor was carrying large or heavy objects, doing yard work, using a cell phone, and walking normally while unassisted and alone. He claimed he had difficulty walking, standing, concentrating, feeding himself, shopping, using his arms, managing money, seeing, hearing, speaking and caring for his hair. He stated his vision caused him to walk into people and objects and frequently fall down the stairs, that he was in extreme constant pain, that it was dangerous for him to leave the house alone, that he could not feel his hands or feet and that even normal items would become too heavy to lift. Taylor falsely claimed he had received no wages or income and had no form of employment since 1997. Since 2014, his business generated income ranging from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per month in all but three months.
After an investigation by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Taylor’s disability benefits were discontinued. Taylor stole a total of $106,923, his plea agreement says.
Taylor, 50, of Wellston, pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of theft of government money.
The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case.